Wisdom from David Linstrom

I read an article about David Linstrom. He is a cinematographer who has worked for ABC, HBO, NBC, and National Geographic.

Here is a small word of advice to cinematographers out there. I don't know how many times I've looked over footage with people and hear the wildest excuses for why the image isn't perfect.

"Always keep in mind that no one cares to hear about the anecdotes or reasons about why you didn't get the shot," says Linstrom, "if the sun didn't rise, there's nothing you can do about that and no one is interested in excuses."

If you didn't get the shot, then you didn't get the shot. It happens to all of us. There's nothing we can do about and we need to use it as a guidance rather than a hindering factor in improving our skill as a cinematographer.

Another interesting point David pulls out is this.

"I use a polarized filter almost always when outside."

This is a very good point. It's amazing how much a polarizer will help an image. You could have the nicest camera out there yet if you don't know how to control or work with light then you can never get a good image.

http://www.davidlinstrom.com/